Corephotonics, a provider of computational camera solutions based in Israel has launched a new dual-camera module for smartphones called Hawkeye. Hawkeye combines a standard 13MP camera module with a second 13MP module that uses proprietary folded optics. When the shutter button is pressed Corephotonics’ image fusion algorithm merges the two still images from both camera modules into into a single image, offering a zoom performance that is equivalent to a 5x optical zoom.

The company says the Hawkeye dual-camera zoom exceeds the digital zooming capabilities of a 130MP sensor and all existing dual-camera modules. Its folded optics translates to a height reduction of the module down to 5.4mm, allowing for the design of very thin devices. Optical image stabilization is also offered in both stills and video mode.

Along with Hawkeye, Corephotonics also introduced Slim Dual Camera which is focused on improving low light image quality, using a color image sensor in combination with a monochromatic sensor. The dual-13MP module puts out 21MP images and allows for slimmer designs than conventional setups. According to Corephotonics it delivers better resolution and lower noise levels than any current 21MP smartphone cameras.

A previously announced 3x zoom module and Slim Dual Camera are expected to be ready for use in devices in mid-2016. For the Hawkeye we'll have to wait until next year. It appears that many industry players are viewing computational imaging as the solution to the zoom and low light limitations of current smartphone cameras. Hopefully we'll get the chance to find out if they are right sometime later this year.

Comments

Time will tell how well this gimmick works. We last saw folded optics in the point-and-shoot market. The results were not very impressive and the concept doesn't scale up very well.

All I really see is yet another ad hoc arrangement of tiny sensors, with a new image processing twist. Big deal. Well, it probably is a big deal, assuming that some manufacturer has placed a huge order.

it is already here, well it is an original case with lens mount , at least three lenses macro, telephoto, fisheye + 28mm. should come reviews the next weeks. see S7 lens case. But people will buy iphones with this gimmick instead.

Since both camera most use the same real-size aperture to get the same depth of field, the telephoto will have 25X the ISO of the wide angle. Interpolation will help, but that has to hurt quality in anything less than bright sunlight. Also, when you zoom in less than 5X, the outside edge of the image is just an up-scaled version of the wide angle and isn't covered by the telephoto. At 4X, you'll have a border of 10% on all sides at 1/16 the resolution of the rest of the picture.

"Hawkeye combines a standard 13MP camera module with a second 13MP module that uses proprietary folded optics. When the shutter button is pressed Corephotonics’ image fusion algorithm merges the two still images from both camera modules into into a single image, offering a zoom performance that is equivalent to a 5x optical zoom"

Isn't this the rumored camera setup for iPhone 7? Apple has been working on sensor based IS because OIS on folded optics doesn't work.

This all seems very interesting but I still don't understand how dual sensors, folded optics and algorithms can achieve 5x optical zoom quality if there is no actual optical zooming going on. How is this achieved? The article wasn't clear to me on that...layman explanation of computational imaging please?

You take a photo with your zoom at 24mm and then another one with zoom at 70mm. If you wanted a wide angle shot you just take the first one. If you wanted zoomed in you take the second. If you wanted something in between you do a digital zoom of the first and overlay the second on the part of the image it covers (scaled down to align). You get a sharp center and blurry edges.

Folded optics are there just to avoid the lens sticking out of the camera. It's not related to computational part.

Aperture. Even with tiny 1/3" sensor and ~24mm in the wide end (so 3mm real focal length) and 5x "zoom" you still get 15mm real fl which gives 7.5mm aperture for f/2 lens. No way they fit that in 5.4mm. So it's either smaller sensor (yippee) or narrower aperture (yippee again) or both for the win...

Phones are not especially good for anything much more than taking snaps. Most people (the general public) who own a camera-phone are clueless about using theirs properly. Those who shoot video, seem to think that everything is best filmed in portrait mode. I'm really not sure if adding an optical zoom is very important for the average user and in my case, I always carry a decent compact for a possible news event.

That said, I really can't see the problem with building in a modest zoom that operates in a sideways configuration with a prism or mirror system. I suppose it depends on whether or not picture quality is of the slightest importance to you. Many think digital zooming is great!

There are many people, me included, who would rather not carry yet another camera with us, but use phones for not so serious shooting. And I really REALLY would like to have focal length suitable for portraiture in my phone. That said, sideways zoom optics/sensor w. prism would be just fine.

I would like a sensor of at least 1/1,8", with pink/black silicon sensor, and some revolving sistem with 6 lenses, equivalent for 24, 30, 35, 40, 55, 90 mm lenses, all f 1.7 or faster.In fact I would like f 1.7 for a true 90mm, so for a 1/1,8" I would like f 0,4...Those 6 fix lenses doesn't neeed to be Zeiss T*, but Pentax SMC would be nice... :)

By far the largest problem with using a cell phone for photography is the fixed ~28mm equivalent focal length. It's the main reason I never use mine and carry a separate camera in the same pocket. There are other reasons too, but that's the biggest one.

Absolutely have to have some telephoto capability. 28mm fixed is just this side of useless.

Is Apple looking to leverage the same advantages that Corephotonics is claiming, for their iPhone 7 which is "expected" to have dual camera technology? The Slim Dual low light ability seems more interesting than crop/zoom on huge files. Of course both would be nice.

well, if you digitally zoom to the same degree on a 130MP sensor the resulting image quality will be much better than on a 13MP sensor, simply because there is more information/detail/pixels in the image you start with.

Is digital zooming being done on-sensor these days? Did they try to say that 13mpx * 10 zoom = 130 mpx? I am not sure about optical stuff... Maybe 13 mpx * 5xZoom = 130mpx...What about the pixel size of the hypothetical 130mpx sensor? Still, their 13 mpx sensor will exceed it in any way?

Yeh, it's a nonsense statement. I thought 5x crop on 130MP would be 13MP or something, but of course the optical resolution is an unknown for that 130MP sensor, and would either be very high or extraordinarily low. Does a 130MP sensor even exist? lol...

Consumers want tiny cameras in their convergent devices with the versatility and performance of a real camera. It's amazing how far we've come with smartphone cameras since 2008. Traditional camera makers have something to really fear looking 10 to 15 years down the road.

"Camera" makers have nothing to fear, they are different markets. Anybody who needed a large sensor DSLR to begin with wont be happy just using a phone. Anybody happy with only using a phone never needed a large sensor DSLR to begin with.

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